Device for handling articles



Oct 20, 1942. E. HART DEVICE FOR HANDLING ARTICLES Filed May 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. HART DEVICE FOR HANDLING ARTICLES Filed May 1o,' 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR flA/PT Patented Oct. 20, 1942 DEVICE FOR HANDLING ARTICLES Earl Hart, Downers Grove, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 10, 1939, Serial No. 272,737

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a device for handlingarticles, and more particularly to a device for conveying irregularly shaped articles, such as handset telephone parts in the process of being manufactured.

Objects of the invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive and compact device for handling articles.

In accordance with the above objects, one embodiment of the invention contemplates the provision of a carrier particularly suitable for conveying handset telephone parts in the process of being manufactured, the said carrier comprising a hollow frame having a pair of spaced side walls, each adapted to support on its outer surface a row of telephone handles, and a pair of trays removably supported between the two walls for carrying telephone transmitter and receiver caps.

A more complete understanding of the invention and the novel features thereof may be had from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of an article carrying device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view showing several of the carriers suspended from an overhead conveyor chain.

Referring to the drawings, the carrier device illustrated therein comprises a hollow frame of substantially U-shaped cross-section. The frame is preferably composed of tWo identical side Wall sections II and I2 having converging lower portions l3 and M, respectively, which are formed with downwardly projecting ears l6, l6 for accommodating bolt and nut assemblies l1, l! by means of which the two sections are rigidly clamped together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each of the side walls has a horizontal arm I9 projecting inwardly from its upper portion, and the inner ends of the arms I9 of the two walls overlap each other and are spaced apart just sufliciently to loosely accommodate therebetween the lower end of a vertical suspension strap or hanger 20, to which the carrier is pivotally attached by means of a bolt and nut assembly 2|. The hanger 20 serves as a means for pivotally suspending the carrier from an overhead conveyor. As shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of carriers may be pivotally suspended from equidis tantly spaced links of a conveyor chain 22, only a portion of which is illustrated.

The upper edge of each of the side walls II and I2 of the carrier frame is formed with a plurality of spaced U-shaped notches 24, 2 K (Fig. 2), there being four such notches in each side wall in the illustrated embodiment of the invention. Each of the notches is adapted to receive the semi-spherical transmitter end portion of a telephone handset handle 25, whereby the carrier is adapted to hold eight handset handles, four on each of the two side walls II and I2, as shown in broken lines in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be noted that the handles hang on the outside of the carrier walls and that the notches 24 are spaced apart so that the handles are separated from each other. This eliminates frictional contact of the handles with each other, which might cause damage to their finished outer surfaces.

Two trays 26, 26 are removably supported, one above the other, in the space between the two side walls II and I2 of the carrier frame. The lower tray is slidably supported upon the converging side wall portions I3 and I4, which are formed at each end with retaining flanges 2'1, 2'! for preventing accidental endwise displacement of the tray. The upper tray is slidably supported upon inwardly projecting shelf-like portions 28, 28 of the side walls, and the portions 28 are formed at each end with retaining flanges 29, 29 for preventing accidental endwise displacement of the upper tray.

Each of the trays is adapted to contain a plurality of telephone receiver and/or transmitter caps 30, 30, which are arranged in the trays in a horizontal row, as shown in broken lines, in Figs. 1 and 2. Each tray is provided with an outwardly projecting horizontal flange 32 at each end thereof, whereby either end of either tray may be lifted above the retaining flange 2'? or 29 and withdrawn from the corresponding end of the carrier frame, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. In other words, either tray may be withdrawn from either end of the carrier frame and, therefore, is conveniently accessible for loading and unloading from either side of the conveyor chain.

The side walls of the carrier frame are pro- Vided with suitable slots or openings, as shown, through which an operator may readily see whether or not either of the trays is filled with caps. The slots also serve to reduce the weight of the carrier frame. Similar weight reducing slots are provided in the walls of the trays. The

formed with notched upper edges for retaining in spaced apart relationship a plurality of telephone parts suspended from said notched upper edges and arranged in oppositely disposed rows on the outer surfaces of said walls, said frame having portions for engaging and maintaining the lower ends of the two rows of suspended parts in spaced apart relationship and additional inwardly directed portions for removably support- 10 ing additional parts between said rows.

EARL HART. 

